Cerise And The Beast is part of the Once Upon A Twist series originally written Lisa Shea. This book was published along with the first book in the series, When The Clock Strikes Cupid.

Blurb

Things have gone topsy-turvy at Ever After High! After Faybelle casts a spell on the midterm hexams, the students unhexpectedly find themselves inside the wrong storybooks!

When Cerise Hood and Dexter Charming realize they're in the story of Beauty and the Beast, they both think it's a royal fairy fail. Cerise would rather run outside than stay in a castle, and Dexter is worried that he'll never escape his big brother's shadow. But when they discover that they'll need to make it to the end of the story to return to school, Cerise and Dex are determined to fit in-even if they're better off being themselves. Will this team find their fairy own hextraordinary way to a Happily Ever After?

Summary

The book starts with Faybelle, who is proud of the mischief she has caused so far. She wonders what fairy tale hexam will get switched up next . . .

Cerise looks around and is surprised by her surroundings. Instead of being in the outdoors, she is inside a luxurious castle. This is not what she was hexpecting the story of Little Red Riding Hood to look like. Wanting to explore, she takes a step forward, but trips over her high-heels and long ball-gown. Cerise is confused as to why she isn’t wearing her normal clothes. At that moment, a maid comes rushing in and helps Cerise to her feet. Cerise thanks her and asks the maid what her name is. Laughing, the maid says her name is Sarah, and that she has been her maid ever since Cerise came to stay at the castle. Sarah wonders if Cerise hit her head when she fell.

The maid leaves, and Cerise starts to explore the castle. She begins to realize that she isn’t in the story of Little Red Riding Hood at all. As she tries to figure out what fairy tale she’s in, Cerise hears someone calling her name. Turning around, Cerise runs right into someone . . . Dexter! Except, Dexter is tall and furry. It is immediately clear to Cerise what fairy tale they are in. They must have ended up in Beauty and the Beast. She tells this to Dexter, who starts to panic. Cerise tries to make him feel better. She says that even though his brother Daring is destined to be the real beast, Dexter still grew up in a castle, and should fit into the story fine. Cerise, on the other hand, knows nothing about being a princess. She prefers running free in the outdoors. Suddenly, Cerise realizes that she isn’t wearing a hood. She fixes her hair to make sure her wolf-ears are covered.

Dexter leaves to go check out the library, hoping for a book that will help them out of their mess. Cerise, meanwhile, searches the castle for something she can use to cover her ears. Wandering into the kitchen, she finds a chef’s hat and tries it on. Then she notices a bowl of wild- berries on the kitchen table. It makes her homesick, because she and her mom always make wild-berry pies together. Trying to remember her mother’s recipe, Cerise starts to make a pie using the berries.

Later, Cerise decides to go for a walk in the woods. Being outdoors always makes her feel better. She changes out of her gown into something more comfy. She also ties a bed-sheet around her head as a makeshift hood. Cerise exits the castle and is about to open the gate when she hears a yelping sound. It’s Dexter in the garden, attempting to howl like a ferocious beast. Cerise goes over and offers to teach him how to be ferocious. Dexter laments that he’ll never be half the prince that Daring is, and that he’ll never be a convincing beast. With some encouragement, he agrees to the howling lessons, and is grateful for the help. Dexter is surprised at how well Cerise can growl and howl. After the lesson, they have a race. Running, Cerise claims, is an excellent way to relieve stress.

When they return to the castle, two servants approach them. They ask what Cerise and Dexter would like for dinner. The servants are eager to make a meal for them. Cerise suggests they just eat the pie she made. Bowing deeply, the servants go to fulfill her request. Dexter says that Cerise should get used to the servants doing things for her. It makes Cerise uncomfortable, as she would rather just do things herself.

At the dinner table, Cerise can’t help but wolf down her pie. All that running made her really hungry. Grabbing a slice with her hands and stuffing her face, Cerise wonders what it would take for them to pass their hexam, and return to Ever After High. She thinks that if Dexter can learn to be a ferocious beast, and she can learn to be a princess like Beauty, then that would be enough to transport them back home. Dexter, trying to be helpful, kindly tells her that princesses usually eat their pie a little slower. Cerise grabs a fork and tries to be neater.

That night, Dexter has a dream. He is at a school dance in his regular human-form, and there is a long line of girls waiting to dance with him. He can hardly believe who is at the front of the line – Raven Queen! As Dexter and Raven are dancing, Dex suddenly transforms into a beast. But Raven doesn’t care. She likes Dexter for who he is on the inside. Then, Raven turns into a beast too. Dexter doesn’t care either. He still likes Raven for who she is on the inside.

The next day, Cerise and Dexter go for a walk in the woods, but Dexter is antsy. He wants to get back to the library and keep looking for a book that might help them. Cerise suggests they split up, so Dexter goes back to the castle, while Cerise continues through the woods. On the other side of the forest, she finds a little village. A group of girls are playing bookball, and they accidentally throw the bookball in Cerise’s direction. When she throws it back, the girls are in awe of her amazing throw. They invite Cerise to play with them, and Cerise happily accepts the invitation. The bookball girls are strong and athletic like her, and Cerise feels like she can be herself around them. They play bookball until it’s late, and Cerise decides to stay at an inn in the village. As she sleeps, she has a dream. Dexter is calling her name – he’s in trouble! She wakes with a start and immediately starts heading back to the castle.

Cerise finds Dexter hiding in the garden. He says there are intruders in the palace! Cerise says they need to be brave and investigate. The servants have the night off, so it’s just them. Entering the castle, they hear a noise coming from the kitchen. All the lights are off, so they light a lantern. Unfortunately, the lantern breaks, but Dexter is able to fix it.

When they discover some baby animals in the kitchen, Cerise and Dexter feel pretty silly for being scared. Cerise notes how incredible it was the way Dexter was able to fix the lantern. Dex says he read a book once that taught him how. Remembering his dream, Dexter realizes that he doesn’t want to be like his brother Daring. Dex is happy being his shy, thoughtful self. Cerise also realizes that she doesn’t want to be a princess like Beauty. Cerise likes being the athletic, fierce girl that she is. Cerise and Dexter decide to make a midnight feast for themselves. They put together a stew, and Cerise also makes another pie. As they eat, Cerise laughs so hard that her hood falls off . . . and Dexter sees her ears! Cerise explains that she is part wolf. Proud of who she is, Cerise takes a large, messy bite out of her pie. Dexter and Cerise both agree they would much rather be themselves instead of Beauty and the Beast.

Cerise and Dex are transported back to Ever After High. They passed the hexam! A crowd of students gathers around them, including Apple, Hunter, Cedar, Maddie, and Raven. Blondie arrives on the scene, and asks Cerise and Dex for details. Dexter, however, can’t remember a single thing that happened! He says he must have hit his head while they were being transported back. The only thing he remembers is his dream . . .

Dexter goes up to Raven and asks her on a date to the movies. She says yes! Cerise is so proud of Dexter. And she is fairy proud of herself too.